Open Source Python Scripting Platform, .NET Integrated
IronPython is an open source project from Microsoft and is distributed as source code and binaries under the terms of the BSD-style Microsoft Public License. It is tightly integrated with the entire .NET framework and makes all .NET and IronPython libraries easily accessible to Python programmers, while maintaining full compatibility with the Python Language. The IronPython Platform Plug-In for Inference enables Inference Word to host the IronPython engine and compile the embedded Python code into assemblies, which are executed from memory.
If you are a .NET developer, you can retain your favorite development tools. Microsoft provides IronPython support into Visual Studio through the Visual Studio SDK. You can use Visual Studio to construct IronPython scripts and libraries, with full access to the Visual Studio designer and debugger, and embed them into Inference.
IronPython 2.0 is built on top of Microsoft’s the Dynamic Language Runtime (DLR). The DLR adds key services to the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR) to make the CLR an optimized environment for hosting dynamic scripting languages. Using IronPython on top of the DLR enables the following:
- Sharing of Python code with other dynamic languages (e.g., IronRuby, dynamic VB, Managed JavaScript) as well as with powerful static languages such as VB.NET, C# and F#.
- Native access to .NET types and the framework classes from IronPython. This makes IronPython a great platform for experimenting, writing applications, or structuring workflow solutions using Inference in conjunction with .NET.
- An extensive IronPython library, in addition to standard Python libraries (except for those with C extensions).
- Use of all open source and commercial 3rd party .NET libraries, including 3rd party libraries for sophisticated GUI components (e.g.,. building custom Inference editors and data grids), statistical libraries, and computational libraries.